Review: ASSEMBLED PARTIES at Hampstead Theatre

In a Upper West Side New York City homestead we meet a Jewish family gathered to celebrate Christmas. Twenty-five years later, we revisit those who remain, but in less fortuitous circumstances.

Hampstead Theatre plays host to Richard Greenberg’s 2013 Broadway ensemble hit Assembled Parties delivered here by a splendidly well-cast troupe of players, under the gentle and teasing direction of Blanche McIntyre.

Jennifer Westfeldt leads the company as Julie, a woman who once starred in four movies before hanging up her June Allyson apple pie starlet to marry Ben (Daniel Abelson) and have sons Scotty and later Tim (both played as grown ups by Alexander Marks). The gathering at the huge family apartment includes Jeff one of Scotty’s idolising college friends (Sam Marks), together with Ben’s sister Faye (Tracy-Ann Oberman), her dodgy dealing husband Mort (David Kennedy) and their strangely gawky daughter Shelley (Julia Kass).

Tracy-Ann Oberman as Faye and Jennifer Westfeldt as Julie in The Assembled Parties. Photo by Helen Murray

Each scene is essentially a nugget of episodic banter where the entire group, or smaller combinations of individuals, break-off into discussions about various matters they are dealing with, which often relate to the other characters in the group who are momentarily elsewhere. Initially, this is achieved by means of the revolve in James Cotterill’s stage design which is adorned with a giant Christmas tree at the centre, a dining area, bedroom, kitchen and lounge section. Gradually (and in most instances subtly), the drivers, foibles and intentions of each character are revealed through their interactions and we get a sense of their place in the world, their ambitions, disappointments and hopes. These are supplemented by two notable phone conversations (one in each act) which are both excruciating and exude comic genius from the participants.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the script which is filled to bursting with opportunities for the cast to land hilariously dead-pan and droll observations and interjections. As with all such word-heavy conversational scripts, timing is essential in delivering the funnies, and the cast must have drilled and drilled to achieve such a high calibre of nuanced humour whilst at the same time dealing with tragic and heartbreaking revelations. As someone once said, All life is here and it was a joy to experience the two acts of this play and to feel so invested in discovering how each individual in the group had grown or diminished by their change in circumstances over the 25 years in which it is set. If there aren’t nominations for both leading ladies come awards season, then there is no justice in the world.

Assembled Parties runs 2 hours and 30 mins with 15 min interval and continues at Hampstead until 22nd November.